WILKES-BARRE, PA (September 28, 2024) — For the first time since 2009, the King’s College football team defeated Widener University as Jake Ruppert denied a game-tying effort at the buzzer as the Monarchs won, 28-25, on Homecoming and Family and Friends Weekend. With the win at McCarthy Stadium, the Monarchs improve to 3-1 overall and 2-1 in the MAC, while the pride drop to 2-2 with a 2-1 conference mark.
Widener (2-2, 2-1 MAC) stormed out of the gate with a 75-yard touchdown grab on the first play of the game, but after the team’s traded punts, the Monarchs found their rhythm. With 6:33 to go in the first, King’s (3-1, 3-0 MAC) drained 8:14 of game clock with a 16-play, 86-yard drive. A 35-yard catch by Mike DiGregorio and a 24-yard grab by EJ Schreiner fueled the first part of the run before a wild interception by the Monarchs was immediately met by a forced fumble on the return that was recovered by Jayon Hailey on the Widener 36-yard line.
King’s went to their run game to help punch it in as Hailey ran the ball in from a yard out to tie the game, 7-7, with 13:11 left in the second. Another big defensive play saw Jared Reto force a fumble on the Pride’s first play of the drive that was recovered by Zach Barber and returned four yards to put King’s at the 10-yard line. This time, it was the Widener defense to make a play as they blocked the field goal attempt to keep the game knotted at 7-7 with 12:02 left in the half…